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<br />C'l <br /> <br />'- <br /> <br />go <br />C\J <br /> <br />':" <br /> <br />8. <br /> <br />Air Quality <br /> <br />The air quality in the service area is generally good, <br />especially those parts which are open desert with low population and little or <br />no industry. Of greater concern are the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas <br />and other industrial areas. Using particulates as an indicator of air pollu- <br />tion, data indicate that they are holding fairly steady. The particulate con- <br />centration is about the same as during 1975-77. <br /> <br />Potential adverse effects on ai r qual ity resulting from the <br />varying distribution of CAP water could be due to population growth, from new <br />powerplants or industries, and from retirement of farmlands to acquire water <br />rights for M&I use. <br /> <br />With the exception of Apache Junction and Palm Springs, Arizona, <br />no alternative would fail to support the projected population. Thus, no net <br />effects on air quality are projected. <br /> <br />CAP allocations to the mining industry are not expected to <br />result in expansion of mining activities, and thus no increase in air <br />pollution. The allocation to Arizona Public Service Company and Salt River <br />Project (APS/SRP) for power generation would probably be used at some time in <br />the future. When new powerplants are planned, an EIS or other environmental <br />document would be prepared, ,including an assessment of the air quality <br />effects. <br /> <br />Sparsely vegetated, abandoned farmland constitutes a dust <br />source in the study area. However, it is unclear to what extent retirement of <br />farmlands (as projected under the alternative allocations) will affect air <br />quality in the study area. Increases in windblown particulates in these areas <br />can be expected, although these would be a function of human-related activi- <br />ties which disturb the soil crust. Vegetation similar to adjacent desert <br />lands will eventually restore itself. <br /> <br />9. Terrestrial Environment <br /> <br />a. General Description <br /> <br />The two main vegetative communities in the project area <br />are the paloverde-saguaro and the creosotebush-bursage. Cultivated and <br />irrigated pasture and farmland are located along the mainstreams of the Gila, <br />Salt, Verde, San Pedro, and Santa Cruz Rivers. Habitat diversity in the <br />project area supports a variety of wildlife. <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />( <br />, <br /> <br />lttj' <br />